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Tuesday, 29 May 2018

May 28- Menstrual Hygiene Day!
In this blog post you’ll learn about how this day initially came to be a thing,
why it’s relevant to HEEALS, and why it is relevant to YOU!

So, let’s start with some introductions.
Menstrual Hygiene Day began in 2013 when an organization called WASH United got
together and began laying out plans. On May 28, 2014 (four years ago today!)
Menstrual Hygiene Day was really born. Since then, it has blossomed into a global
opportunity to discuss issues women face surrounding menstruation and a chance
to educate people about these issues. In 2017, India was the country with the
most events [1] - we had a total of 67! Hopefully this year we’ll be
able to even top that.

Since 2012, HEEALS has been doing menstrual
hygiene workshops in schools in the Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi areas.
These workshops have had a focus on healthy and safe menstrual hygiene
practices as well as on the need to address the stigma that is so prevalent
around the world, but specifically in Indian society. 71% of girls in India
don’t even know what menstruation is before they get their first period.[2]
This stems from the fact that periods are treated as something shameful,
something that makes a girl or woman impure. This year, HEEALS is taking a
focus on menstrual hygiene for May 28 because of how important we believe this
topic is. Menstrual hygiene doesn’t deserve our attention just one week out of
every month. We should be talking about it constantly, until everyone is having
shame-free periods. When we as women
don’t speak about this natural human process, it only amplifies the feelings of
uncertainty, fear, and embarrassment that young girls are experiencing in
relation to their periods.

For the last six years, HEEALS has been
stepping up to distribute sanitary pads to girls in the schools that we visit.
Since there is a lack of discussion about menstruation in India, many girls and
women are using unsafe materials to absorb their flow every month. These
materials can range from cloth pads that simply haven’t been washed properly
all the way to even ash.[3] While cloth pads are an amazing and
eco-friendly option if they’re washed and dried properly, the sad fact is that
many girls using these are resorting to washing them quickly and leaving them
to dry in a hidden part of their room, under their bed, or in a cupboard to
avoid being discovered. This type of unhygienic practice can lead to infections
and has even been linked to more serious issues like cervical cancer and
reproductive infections.[4]

Here at HEEALS, we understand our
limitations. While we are working hard to promote discussion around
menstruation through workshops with school girls and their families, we
understand that we cannot change a culture of secrecy overnight. This is why we
are also using our resources to equip girls with a healthier and safer
alternative: the sanitary pad. After every workshop that we host, we spend some
time distributing sanitary pads to the girls and women present. While sanitary
pads are available in stores in India, there are often several factors that are
preventing girls and women from purchasing and using them. Often girls and
women are ashamed to have to purchase these in public. Other times, women in
rural area would need to walk several kilometres just to reach the closest
store where they are sold. Sometimes, pads are simply unaffordable. Even if
only one of these limitations were preventing the use of sanitary pads, it is
still always difficult to change habits that have lasted for generations.

By distributing the pads immediately
after discussing the dangers that accompany unhygienic practices we are hoping
that women and girls will see enough benefit in making the switch that even
after they use the pads we provide them, they will be motivated to either begin
using sanitary pads regularly or ensuring that the cloth pads they are using
are properly cleaned and dried.

I promised at the beginning that I would
tell you about how you can help and how you can get involved. Here’s the main
way: start talking! Talk with your family members -male and female- to ensure
that girls are educated about how to stay healthy and that boys are also educated
about what menstruation is. If we can ensure that girls have no need to feel
ashamed about a natural bodily function and that boys understand what their
mothers, sisters, and friends are experiencing every month, we can begin to
create a society that supports and equips menstruating girls and women rather
than pushing them into hiding like a secret that needs to dry out under a bed
or in a closet. When we are educating boys and men, we are taking an important
step towards

A second way that you can help is
financially. As a non-profit organization, HEEALS relies on our generous
sponsors and donors in order to be able to run our workshops and provide
sanitary pads. If you are interested in providing financial support for our
menstrual hygiene management workshops or our ‘Pads for Girls’ project, please
connect with communication@heeals.org
or rachel@heeals.org.

If you haven’t already, be sure to
‘like’ HEEALS’ page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram and Twitter!

Monday, 28 May 2018

"Yesterday afternoon, our intern Jayde spent her afternoon representing HEEALS at NIINE Movement's Menstrual Awareness Conclave! at ITC Maurya Hotel Delhi The event was attended by activists, artists, health professionals and policy-makers, who all share the common goal of deconstructing the cultural taboos that women face regarding menstruation! The two panels, "Bholi: Loss of Fertility in Females" and "Rangoli: Absenteeism of the Girl Child in Schools" featured influential speakers such as Poonam Muttreja, Shabana Azmi, Dr. Jennifer Butler and Nishtha Satyam! Oh, and we must not forget, guest of honour and star of "Padman", Akshay Kumar!

Jayde is so thankful to have had the chance to attend this event along with so many prominent individuals in the Menstrual Awareness community, and show that HEEALS aligns itself with empowering female health and success!"

Sunday, 27 May 2018

HEEALS Celebrated Menstrual Hygiene Day At Gurgaon Office .
Happy Menstrual Hygiene Day from all of us here at HEEALS! This year, the theme is #nomorelimits; At HEEALS, we wanted to take the opportunity to expose some of the limits that women in India face due to accessibility, stigma, awareness and discrimination.
As an organization that aligns with women and facilitating their equal opportunity to succeed, we believe that talking about the issue is the first step to ensuring that there is #NOMORELIMITS in India!
We hope you enjoy. Please like and share this video, and if you enjoy this content, feel free to subscribe to our channel!
Happy International Menstrual Hygiene Day May 28th 2018! #NOMORELIMITS

Thursday, 24 May 2018

Hello everyone! If you have been following HEEALS' work for a while, you know that we focus on education about clean water and sanitary & menstrual hygiene. This summer we will be continuing our work with these awareness-raising workshops, but we will also be installing 30 water filters in schools and communities in the Gurgaon and Uttar Pradesh regions. Please kindly consider supporting our work. You can find more information and can donate by clicking the link below. Have a wonderful day!